BA Politics and Italian / Course details

In Year 1 you will choose two from the following three courses as your core Politics units (40 credits):

• Introduction to Comparative Politics;
• Introduction to International Politics;
• Introduction to Political Theory.
• Sample optional units include (20 credits):
• Introduction to Political Theory;
• Politics of the Global Economy;
• Power and the State;
• Making Sense of Politics.

You will also study an additional 60-80 credits of language and culture course units in your modern language subject.

From the beginning, students have four contact hours per week with their nominated Italian teacher as part of a course specifically designed to build confidence in comprehension, writing, speaking and listening skills. Post-A-level students have 3 hours consolidating and building competency on specific language points. All first year students also have an additional linguistics hour, introducing them to the history and structures of the Italian language.

Culture units cover topics from the filmic and literary to the historic and linguistic, all of which reflect academic staff research interests.

You will take only the language units relevant to your level of language in each year of study.

In Year 2 you will choose from a selection of Politics units (40-60 credits), including:

• Questions about International Politics;
• The Politics of Globalisation;
• The Politics of Development;
• Ideals of Social Justice;
• The Politics of (In)Security;
• Challenges for Democratic Politics;
• What is Europe?;
• Environment Politics;
• Chinese Politics Today;
• The Politics of Policy Making.

You will also study an additional 60-80 credits of language and culture course units in your modern language subject.

In Year 2, the core language component builds on the grammar topics covered in Year 1, in order to prepare you for the year abroad. Both the post-beginners and post-A-level language modules have three contact hours per week, in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.

Your course units in second year are more specialized than in first year, allowing you to explore a diverse range of subjects and approaches. Current options include the Italian Renaissance and Italian Fascism.

All Italian culture units have three contact hours per week and are augmented by materials and content placed in the units' Blackboard virtual learning environment.

Italian modules are assessed by a variety of different coursework assessment types, including essays and commentaries, book reviews, reports, presentations, and innovative digital projects such as group curated exhibitions.

Year 3 is spent abroad under approved conditions.

In Year 4 you will choose from a selection of Politics units (40-60 credits) including:

• Politics of the European Union;
• Africa and Global Politics;
• Terrorism and Political Violence;
• Comparative Protest Politics;
• War Memories and Reconciliation in East Asia;
• Borders, Identities and Citizenship;
• News Media and International Crisis;
• Peace Building;
• Gender, Sex and Politics;
• Children, Family and Social Justice.

You will also study an additional 60-80 credits of language and culture course units in your modern language subject.

In Year 4, you build on the linguistic authenticity acquired abroad in the core language unit, and can choose from a range of specialized content course units. The final year language course develops your core skills to an advanced level, including translation into English, writing different kinds of target-language texts, and oral work including discussion of texts, debates, and presentations. The language component of the course comprises three contact hours per week, in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.

Course units available in final year are closely related to the research interests of individual members of staff, in areas such as romance linguistics, Renaissance Florence, Italy and the Grand Tour, book history, and the political and cultural history of Italy.

You will also be able to undertake a research-orientated dissertation in Italian (often using the primary sources held in the Rylands Library, which has outstanding Italian holdings), and can participate in the Italian department's mentoring and outreach programmes.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk